A sunny morning with a nip in the air greeted thousands of spectators gathered to witness the 64th Republic Day parade at the majestic Rajpath here today though the minimum temperatures remained below normal.
The low was recorded at 6.4 degrees Celsius, two degrees below normal and up by 0.8 degrees from yesterday’s 5.6 degrees Celsius.
The maximum temperature in the last 24 hours was recorded at 21.1 degrees Celsius, which is one degree below normal for this time of the year.
Though there was a fog cover and a nip in the air in the early hours, spectators in large numbers came to Rajpath to witness the kaleidoscopic image of India’s cultural heritage and military prowess.
The thin veil of fog gave way to the sun as the day progressed. The clear sky also helped people enjoy the flypast during the parade as the Indian Air Force helicopters and fighter jets showcasing India’s military might left the spectators spellbound.
In 2010, a thick blanket of fog had played spoilsport during the parade as visibility was limited, leaving many spectators disappointed.
In the past 12 years, except for 2010, the month of January has recorded the lowest minimum temperature on January eight of 2006 when the mercury had dipped to 0.2 degree Celsius.
The record lowest minimum for the month was on January 16, 1935, when the mercury touched minus 0.6 degrees Celsius while the highest maximum was 32.5 degrees on January 28, 2004.
The weatherman has predicted mist in the morning tomorrow with temperature oscillating between six and 21 degrees Celsius.